UK firefighters given okay to 'sprint' to engines

Previously, they were only allowed to "briskly walk" after a firefighter fell out of a vehicle and died

Expert Analysis

Response time: Slow down to go faster

By Adam K. Thiel

From my first day in a fire station, I was taught to walk fast, but not run, to the apparatus and get dressed before boarding.

It probably goes without saying that I didn't always do that and, if I'm being honest, sometimes my personal turnout time depended on the call type, address or a combination thereof. I can, however, truthfully say that I've always prided myself on quickly getting dressed in my turnout gear, regardless of where that evolution occurred.

I can also say, with complete honesty, that despite being a 99.9% compliant seatbelt wearer, I almost fell out of a fire engine once, and only once, while getting dressed in the back. Why? Long story short, we were all rushing; and not to get to a fire with trapped victims, but to keep from getting a "CAD ticket" requiring explanation for an extended response time.

The comments below are member-generated and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of FireRescue1.com or its staff. If you cannot see comments, try disabling privacy and ad blocking plugins in your browser. All comments must comply with our Member Commenting Policy.